Help understanding hydraulic system & with plan to simpl

A couple of questions regarding my 1952 Farmall M. I am trying to learn the basics of hydraulics and how my tractor is set up. My grandfather bought it new and added a lot of plumbing that I would like to reduce. I only need one line to the rear for a sickle mower up-lift (gravity). I would like to simplify the plumbing ...

In a tractor hydraulic system can you plug (cap) unused ports that come out of the tractor? What happens to the pressure if you accidently bump the contol lever on the spool valve if you cap some of the ports?

It looks like the tractor has a live hydraulic system as it has lines coming out near the distributor. I assume that is where the pump is located. Is it possible to use this pump for the power steering unit?

Where do I purchase fittings and caps for a neat & clean fix to the messy hoses and pipes? Tractor Supply?

I have uploaded a few pictures. I'm sorry about the incompleteness of some of the photos (not sure why the one is cut-off as it appears fine as a thumbnail). Next time I'm out at the farm I will shoot better ones.

Photo 1: The busy, convoluted spool
Photo 2: T section. One hose comes from the distributor. Is this a return to a reservoir?
Photo 3: You can barely see the hoses to the distributor
Photo 4: Left side of tractor. Shouldn't there be a cap on one of these outlets. Perhaps there is no need if this is not the location of the pump (very confused of this setup).

Thanks for any help you may provide.

the hydraulic pump is at the distributor 0ne hose is the return ,one hose pressere .the pressure hose connects to the lever control valve marked IN ,also on the valve will be a port marked out this hose connects to the fliud resavior at the top ,at the bottom of the resivior should be a hose going to the return on the pump this completes the the circit the control valve may have a bypass valve that allows fluid to return to the resivor when pressure exceeds the set pressure install a pressure gauge in the system ,this way you know excat pressure from 500-3000 i run mine at 1500 psi

answered your other post before seeing this one. yup, that is an m+w live pump conversion kit. the belly pump unit was removed from the housing and a block off plate installed from the kit. the belly pump housing is now used as the resevoir. the spool valve looks to be a char-lynn unit. looks like the over pressure relief valve is plumbed in from the supply line from the live pump that feeds the spool valve. the return from the resevoir to the pump should be running from the drain plug on the belly pump housing to the live pump. it looks like they are drawing the return from the side of the resevoir

Thanks much for the reply. Sorry about the multiple posts. I thought I had too many questions on this one so split it up. I'm just trying to understand the setup to be able to reduce it (only use it for a sickle mower) and use the live hydraulics to power my Charlyn PS motor (pump is rusted tight).